Working in agriculture- Born into it or a grown interest

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 09:47AM #1

whelan2 wrote: »

a lad down the road has silage bales at the edge of the field from 2012- would not sell them in the bad spring of 2013:mad:- then on the other side of them is the hay bales from 2013 , all outside, wonder what he will do this year .

Plenty of ppl like that around. Big difference around here in last ten yrs. All the lads that were part time farming and on the buildings have since gone full-time a lot of ground being used a lot better

rangler1 · 03-08-2014 09:48AM

whelan2 wrote: »

a lad down the road has silage bales at the edge of the field from 2012- would not sell them in the bad spring of 2013:mad:- then on the other side of them is the hay bales from 2013 , all outside, wonder what he will do this year .

yes, so much land at the moment being abandoned, growing crops of ragwort, despite the ag colleges overflowing.......there was loads of silage bales in ditches from last year without making more for sale this year

whelan2 · 03-08-2014 09:54AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Plenty of ppl like that around. Big difference around here in last ten yrs. All the lads that were part time farming and on the buildings have since gone full-time a lot of ground being used a lot better

problem around here is that there are alot of farms with no one to take over, people have lost interest. Only know 1 young lad that went to ag college recently .

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 09:59AM

whelan2 wrote: »

problem around here is that there are alot of farms with no one to take over, people have lost interest. Only know 1 young lad that went to ag college recently .

Yep I'm the youngest in my area going farming. Next youngest lad in the area is near 30. Some very fine farms around here with big acres but sons have a much easier life with there jobs now. Can't blame them tbh when they see all the effort gone in and such little return from suvklers

rangler1 · 03-08-2014 10:02AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Yep I'm the youngest in my area going farming. Next youngest lad in the area is near 30. Some very fine farms around here with big acres but sons have a much easier life with there jobs now. Can't blame them tbh when they see all the effort gone in and such little return from suvklers

Even farmers sons who have lost their jobs are giving farming a wide berth for fear of losing their dole....as you say who'd blame them

frazzledhome · 03-08-2014 10:05AM

rangler1 wrote: »

yes, so much land at the moment being abandoned, growing crops of ragwort, despite the ag colleges overflowing.......there was loads of silage bales in ditches from last year without making more for sale this year

What do you think needs to change? Tax relief on medium term leases doesn't seem to have done the trick.

I think a good add on to this would be relief if leasing to a company. Land owner can't lease with tax advantage to Co.

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 10:17AM

frazzledhome wrote: »

What do you think needs to change? Tax relief on medium term leases doesn't seem to have done the trick.

I think a good add on to this would be relief if leasing to a company. Land owner can't lease with tax advantage to Co.

I don't think a tax incentive will make more young people enter . can't pay tax if ye can't make money out of farming and not everyone can milk cows

rangler1 · 03-08-2014 10:24AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I don't think a tax incentive will make more young people enter . can't pay tax if ye can't make money out of farming and not everyone can milk cows

I wouldn't be too hopeful for dairying either, with the restricted supply at the moment, supermarkets haven't been really able to put the thumbscrews on milkprice yet like they have done with beef and lamb price

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 10:33AM

rangler1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be too hopeful for dairying either, with the restricted supply at the moment, supermarkets haven't been really able to put the thumbscrews on milkprice yet like they have done with beef and lamb price

Don't think it will happen like beef. Beef is sort of a one trick pony. ie beef is beef. Where as milk is not just milk can be used for such a variety of products. It will be the processors that will control milk IMO not so much the supermarkets.
I hope I'm right

Farmer Pudsey · 03-08-2014 10:35AM

One of the biggest fears of beef farmers is that increased production will not lead to an increase in income. They feel there are two reasons for that. The first is that increased production leads to increased costs and the increased costs may not generate the return. The other is that the processors when we exceed 30K kill/week drop the price and this can generate losses.

Take meal feeding it is only the most efficient cattle that return a margin over the cost. For instance Winter finishing is based on trying to buy cattle at below the cost of production so as to generate a margin

Taking an animal that will be slaughtered at 700kgs LW he will require about 12kgDM/day during the finishing period.In general last year finishing diets cost 3/day. The base price was 3.8/kg even the most efficient cattle were losing money at that base price. Finishing Freisians steers out of a shed would be losing you a euro/day over costs.

I often wonder how the rest of Europe can generate profit from cattle production. There cost of production cannot be much lower when you take it most cattle are finished out of feedlots all year around. I know that by products reduce costs however there overall cost of production cannot be any lower than ours.

moy83 · 03-08-2014 10:36AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I don't think a tax incentive will make more young people enter . can't pay tax if ye can't make money out of farming and not everyone can milk cows

You're right there gg , paying tax is the least of most suckler farmers problems . You would want a massive run of land for cows to give a wage . I was talking to a lad that was given the home farm recently , his plans were to apply for any scheme going for grants and the farm assist ! No mention of more cows or improving land . God help us if farm assist and AEOS was his future on the farm but it was probably the best way of getting money from his farm all the same :mad:

frazzledhome · 03-08-2014 10:38AM

rangler1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be too hopeful for dairying either, with the restricted supply at the moment, supermarkets haven't been really able to put the thumbscrews on milkprice yet like they have done with beef and lamb price

Your 100% correct if its Liquid milk, supermarkets have full control and will bury it. As far as Manu milk yes things will tighten as the US ramp up. The one thing we have is a better organised industry that's well funded. Wouldn't be too pessimistic about it.

High levels of bad debt will put the pressure on at farm level. Price will only be the trigger

Farmer Pudsey · 03-08-2014 10:41AM

rangler1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be too hopeful for dairying either, with the restricted supply at the moment, supermarkets haven't been really able to put the thumbscrews on milkprice yet like they have done with beef and lamb price

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Don't think it will happen like beef. Beef is sort of a one trick pony. ie beef is beef. Where as milk is not just milk can be used for such a variety of products. It will be the processors that will control milk IMO not so much the supermarkets.
I hope I'm right

Green grass is right, beef has a limited shelf life. Milk powder, cheese and butter have long shelf lives. Our cost of milk production is much lower than other countries. If milk falls below 30c/L feedlot milk producers just slaughter cows as they are losing money. The recent milk price spike is due to the really low price was it 3 years ago. That caused massive reduction in capacity across the US and Europe that is slow to recover. Also the consumption of dairy products is increasing.

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 11:43AM

whelan2 wrote: »

problem around here is that there are alot of farms with no one to take over, people have lost interest. Only know 1 young lad that went to ag college recently .

The other side to that is that there are young people out there that can't get into the farming.

I never lived on a farm but was always drawn to it. I was lucky enough the way things fell together for me that I ended up with the little bit I have to keep the interest going.

The future is a different matter as I would love to gear up for running a larger farm when I retire in a few years but the future here isn't layer out yet....If ya can read between the lines

. So its hard to know what to do and it's a conversation that can't be brought up with certain people.

I'm sure there is people out there in similar situations

larrymiller · 03-08-2014 11:54AM

Reggie. wrote: »

The other side to that is that there are young people out there that can't get into the farming.

I never lived on a farm but was always drawn to it. I was lucky enough the way things fell together for me that I ended up with the little bit I have to keep the interest going.

The future is a different matter as I would love to gear up for running a larger farm when I retire in a few years but the future here isn't layer out yet....If ya can read between the lines . So its hard to know what to do and it's a conversation that can't be brought up with certain people.

I'm sure there is people out there in similar situations

Jez how old are ya?

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 11:55AM

larrymiller wrote: »

Jez how old are ya?

Trade secret

whelan2 · 03-08-2014 11:58AM

Reggie. wrote: »

The other side to that is that there are young people out there that can't get into the farming.

I never lived on a farm but was always drawn to it. I was lucky enough the way things fell together for me that I ended up with the little bit I have to keep the interest going.

The future is a different matter as I would love to gear up for running a larger farm when I retire in a few years but the future here isn't layer out yet....If ya can read between the lines . So its hard to know what to do and it's a conversation that can't be brought up with certain people.

I'm sure there is people out there in similar situations

is this not where partnerships come in to play?

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 12:02PM

whelan2 wrote: »

is this not where partnerships come in to play?

True but in my case not a hope in hell. But as a general solution quite possibly the answer.

Will Young lads go do the green cert on the HOPE of getting a partnership is the thing

whelan2 · 03-08-2014 12:04PM

Reggie. wrote: »

True but in my case not a hope in hell. But as a general solution quite possibly the answer.

Will Young lads go do the green cert on the HOPE of getting a partnership is the thing

i dont know but sure if they dont ask they wont get, i am sure there are many farmers that would be interested if the right person came along

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 12:06PM

whelan2 wrote: »

i dont know but sure if they dont ask they wont get, i am sure there are many farmers that would be interested if the right person came along

Can't talk for everyone but that would be witchcraft to some of the older folk around here

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 12:07PM

whelan2 wrote: »

i dont know but sure if they dont ask they wont get, i am sure there are many farmers that would be interested if the right person came along

How do you approach these farmers? I think this deserves a thread if its own tbh

frazzledhome · 03-08-2014 12:12PM

Reggie. wrote: »

True but in my case not a hope in hell. But as a general solution quite possibly the answer.

Will Young lads go do the green cert on the HOPE of getting a partnership is the thing

Reality is, Ag colleges half full of people looking to get greencert in order to inherit farm and continue on a career path outside farming. All the talk of young farmers, nice notion for the politicians to talk about

larrymiller · 03-08-2014 12:14PM

Reggie. wrote: »

Trade secret

So you're old so

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 12:20PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Reality is, Ag colleges half full of people looking to get greencert in order to inherit farm and continue on a career path outside farming. All the talk of young farmers, nice notion for the politicians to talk about

When I was there anyone that did second yr intended to go home farming. Majority that decided to continue second yr out side are not farming at home now. Now don't get me wrong some are but most are not.
Out of my dairy group of 25. There was 3 who had no home farm but were talented and knew as much if not more about farming than us that grew up on farms.
If you take that figure of 3 out of every 25 to keep the industry growing its not looking very promising

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 12:27PM

larrymiller wrote: »

So you're old so

Could be younger than you

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 12:31PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

When I was there anyone that did second yr intended to go home farming. Majority that decided to continue second yr out side are not farming at home now. Now don't get me wrong some are but most are not.
Out of my dairy group of 25. There was 3 who had no home farm but were talented and knew as much if not more about farming than us that grew up on farms.
If you take that figure of 3 out of every 25 to keep the industry growing its not looking very promising

One of them three would be my future brother in law. Did same as you but no home farm.

He is currently managing a 600 cow diary farm in the midlands with one labourer

moy83 · 03-08-2014 12:41PM

Reggie. wrote: »

One of them three would be my future brother in law. Did same as you but no home farm.

He is currently managing a 600 cow diary farm in the midlands with one labourer

There is absolutely no reason why someone with no background in farming cant be as good if not better in agriculture than someone that grew up on a farm .
It might even have advantages .

Reggie. · 03-08-2014 12:44PM

moy83 wrote: »

There is absolutely no reason why someone with no background in farming cant be as good if not better in agriculture than someone that grew up on a farm .
It might even have advantages .

I agree fully you just have to look at what the BIL
Is doing from a non farming background. Trouble is brewing tho in the future

Kovu · 03-08-2014 02:48PM

Do you want me to move some of these posts to a new thread? It's not particularly hijacking the thread but it would be an interesting topic on its own, especially if a poll was a added to see who comes from a farming background & who doesn't.

Greengrass1 · 03-08-2014 02:56PM

.Kovu. wrote: »

Do you want me to move some of these posts to a new thread? It's not particularly hijacking the thread but it would be an interesting topic on its own, especially if a poll was a added to see who comes from a farming background & who doesn't.

Ye I think it would make for an interesting discussion

whelan2 · 03-08-2014 03:16PM

Reggie. wrote: »

I agree fully you just have to look at what the BIL
Is doing from a non farming background. Trouble is brewing tho in the future

have said it many times, its hard enough to get good workers as it is what will it be like in the future?

Working in agriculture- Born into it or a grown interest

How did you get into the farming sector? 96 votes

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